Raipur: An Indian Air Force helicopter had to make an emergency landing at a forested location in Chhattisgarh on Friday evening after Maoist rebels opened fire on it, police officials said.

Officials here at police headquarters said that Mi-17 chopper, which took off from Jagdalpur town to Sukma district to airlift some troopers seriously injured in a gunfight with Maoists, went missing after rebels attacked it.

"Rebels opened fire on the IAF chopper when it tried to land in a conflict zone in Sukma district to rescue a few troopers who had received gunshots in an encounter. The chopper went off the radar for some time but it had made an emergency landing in a jungle pocket, according to reports," a top police officer told IANS over phone.

Screen grab/ibnlive

A policeman was killed and several others were wounded in a lengthy gun battle with Maoists at Pollampalli, some 500 km south from Raipur.

According to official sources, suspected Naxals fired at the Indian Air Force chopper, injuring at least one person on board, reported CNN-IBN. However, CRPF Director General said, "I will not comment whether it came under fire from Naxals. One person had died and two other were injured in Naxal encounter for whom the chopper had gone for rescue...the chopper has landed at Sukma."